Cubing apparatus for concrete blocks



June 21, 1966 G. RAPPL CUBING APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS 4Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Sept. 5, 1963 P OE INVENTOR GEORG E RAPP L ATTOR EG. RAPPL GUBING APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS June 21, 1966 4Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 5, 1963 INVENTOR.

GEQRGE RAPPL 9 mm AU mm June 21, 1966 G. RAPPL I 3,257,003

CUBING APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS Filed Sept. 5, 1963 4 Sheets-Sheet5 8 a 66 l6 FIG.5 25 x 57 /L I 7 F o g 5e 14 II 27 68 2| I 55 P I lINVENTOR. Fm. i GEORGE RAPPL fiH'. BY

ATTORN 4 Sheets-Shee t 4 G. RAPPL CUBING APPARATUS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKSJune 21, 1966 Filed Sept. 5, 1963 INVENTOR. GEORGE RAPPL ATTOR E UnitedStates Patent Office 3,257,003 Patented June 21, 1966 3,257,003 CUBINGAPPARATUS FOR CONCRETE BLOCKS George Rappl, 62 Rock Beach Road,Rochester, N.Y.

Filed Sept. 5, 1963, Ser. No. 306,824 1 Claim. (Cl. 214-6) Thisinvention relates to the handling of concrete blocks, and moreparticularly to apparatus for cubing or stacking such blocks after theyare removed from a drying kiln. The name cubing is applied because theblocks are stacked in cubes, or more broadly hexahedrons, for easiertransport.

The manufacture of concrete masonry blocks usually comprises the mixingof clean, graded gravel with proper amounts of water and cement. Themixture is then compacted into a mold to form blocks of the desiredshape. In the mold the top of the block is down, and while the blocksare still greeni.e., before they have completely hardened, the blocksare placed with their top faces down upon the shelves of the racks ofthe drying kiln until they are completely cured. The top sides of theblocks therefore tend to become smooth, While the other sides of theblocks retain a rough or slightly uneven appearance.

On a construction job, a mason mortars and sets the blocks so that thesmooth side of each block (hereinafter called the face of the block)faces upwardly to provide a reference surface for his level. Because itis easiest, when removing blocks from the drying rack, for the laborerto slide them out and leave their faces down, it has been the practiceheretofore, however, to stack or cube the blocks from the rack facedownward; and that is the fashion in which concrete blocks are commonlyshipped. When the blocks reach the job then and are delivered to' themasons they are face down and the mason has to turn the blocks over byhand before mortaring them and setting them in place.

The need for the mason to turn each block over by hand before he mortarsand sets it adds to the work of the mason and is tiring, time-consuming,and costly. It increases the labor and takes the time of ahighly-skilled, highly-paid journeyman.

To avoid this time-consuming labor of the mason, machines have beenbuilt and marketed for taking the blocks from the drying racks andautomatically turning them over and stacking them face side up so that,when a cube of blocks reaches the job, the blocks are already face sideup, and the mason is saved from the task of inverting them. Theautomatic machines heretofore provided for stacking or cubing the blocksare, however, quite expensive and beyond the means of the ordinary localconcrete block manufacturing plant. The job of stacking or cubing theblocks in the block making plant has remained therefore largely a manualoperation, and an operation, moreover, in which the blocks have largelybeen stacked face downward.

Manual stacking or cubing often results in the chipping or cracking ofblocks. The principal objection to manual stacking, aside from thedifficulty of getting the stackers to stack the blocks face up, however,has been the amount of labor involved.

Heretofore four men have been required to cube the production off asingle drying rack. Even the automatic machines require two men tooperate them.

It is an object of this invention to provide apparatus for cubingconcrete blocks after removal from the drying racks so that the blockswill be stacked face upwards.

Another object of the invention is to provide apparatus of this naturewhich will be much less costly than the machines heretofore provided forthis purpose.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus of this naturewhich will be semi-automatic in operation and which will minimize theamount of manual labor required for cubing the blocks.

An. additional object of this invention is to provide cubing apparatuswhich will substantially eliminate the chipping or cracking of blocks inthe stacking thereof.

Other objects of the invention will be apparent hereinafter from thespecification and from the recital of the appended claim, particularlywhen read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

In the drawings:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary plan view of cubing apparatus made in accordancewith one embodiment of this invention, and with parts thereof brokenaway;

FIG. 2 is a side elevational view of this apparatus;

FIG. 3 is a fragmentary front elevational view of, this apparatus withparts thereof broken away;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 44 in FIG. 2and looking in the direction of the arrows;

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary side elevational view illustrating the stackingpallet pivoted into its stacking position; and

FIG. 6 is a fragmentary side elevational view of the ap paratus andillustrating the turning platform in its dis charge position.

The cubing apparatus illustrated comprises a frame having a carriagemounted thereon to reciprocate horizontally and supported by rollersupon stationary rails or ways carried at opposite sides of the frame.Mounted on the carriage for limited pivotal movement between ahorizontal loading position, and a stacking position in which it isinclined downwardly beyond the rear edge of the carriage, is a flatloading pallet. Pivoted by trunnions between a pair of vertical posts atthe discharge end of the frame is a turning platform. At opposite sides'thereof the platform is provided with rails which align with the railsfor the carriage rollers, when the platform is in one limit position.The platform is also provided with a conveyor section comprising a pairof laterally spaced ways between which are rotatably mounted a pluralityof conveyor rollers. This conveyor section is so disposed that itprojects vertically upwardly from the end of the platform remote fromthe carriage, when rails of the platform align with the roller rails ofthe carriage. Normally the platform is locked by releasable catches inthis latter position.

In operation the carriage is first shifted to its loading position atone end of the frame, and the pallet is placed in its horizontalposition where it registers with the dis charge end of a conveyor usedto transport cured concrete blocks face down from a nearby drying rack.The operator slides the cured blocks off this conveyor onto the palletuntil a rectangular layer of blocks is disposed thereon. The operatorthen pushes the carriage onto the then-aligned rails of the platform toadvance the carriage toward the thenvertically-disposed conveyor at thefar end of the platform. The operator then tilts the pallet upwardly sothat the layer of blocks thereonslides off the pallet and into avertical layer on the platform against the vertically disposed conveyor.The carriage is then returned to the loading end of the frame andanother layer of blocks is placed thereon, and the carriage is againmoved rearwardly and tilted to stack this layer of blocks on theplatform against the first layer. These steps are repeated until aplurality of layers of blocks have been stacked on the turning platform.

As the pallet is tipped to move eachlayer of blocks onto the platform,the blocks are rotated degrees, whereby the blocks are stacked on theplatform with their smooth surfaces facing away from the then verticallydisposed conveyor of the platform. When the desired cube of blocks hasbeen formed on the platform, the platformholding means is released bythe operator. The weight of the blocks on the platform then causes theplatform to 'be pivoted by gravity for slightly more than 90 degreesuntil its conveyor aligns with another conveyor which is provided tocarry the block away from the machine. The stack of blocks then rollsface up onto this other conveyor and is carried away. After the stackhas rolled off the turning platform, gravity causes the platformautomatically to rotate back into its horizontal position, and theoperator once again secures it in place with the releasable holdingmeans, after which the above-described operations may be repeated tocube another set of blocks.

Referring now to the drawings by numerals of reference, my novel cubingapparatus comprises a base or frame 11 formed from a pair of laterallyspaced, parallel channel irons 12 and resting upon three transversechannel iron feet 13. Supported above the base or frame 11 by pairs ofvertical channel iron legs 14 and 15 are confronting horizontal channeliron roller trackways 16. Each of the channel irons 16 at its rear orinner end 21 (FIG. 2) is beveled off, that is, cut on the diagonal for apurpose to be described below.

The frame 12, feet 13, legs 14 and 15 and trackways 16 are all weldedtogether.

Secured to the channel irons 12 between the legs 15 and the rear ends ofthe channel irons 12 are vertical channel iron supports 18 (FIG. 2).These project vertically above the channels 14 and 15. Each channel iron18 faces outwardly, and adjacent its upper end has a relatively shortsection of channel iron 19 welded in confronting relation to it (FIG.1). Mounted in aligned openings in the confronting angle irons 18 and 19are trunnions 22.

Pivotally mounted on the trunnions 22 is a turning platform 30. Theplatform comprises two pairs of lateral- 1y spaced, and generallytriangularly shaped bearing plates 23 (FIGS. 1, 2, 3 and 6), which arespaced from angle irons 18 by spacers 21 (FIG. 3), two pairs ofdiverging angle irons 24, and a pair of confronting channel irons 25.Each pair of the angle irons 24 is welded at one end to one pair oftriangular plates 23 and each channel iron 25 is welded to the otherends of the associated pair of angle irons 24. The forward ends ofchannels 25 are beveled off at 17 (FIG. 6) to abut against the beveledsurfaces 21' on the rear ends of the channel irons 16 when the turningplatform is in lower position, (FIG. 2).

Bolted or otherwise removably secured to the channel irons 25, to extendtransversely therebetween in spaced, parallel relation are a pluralityof channel irons 27 whose upper surfaces are coplanar. At its rear end,the left end in FIG. 2, each channel iron 25 has removably securedthereto at right angles by screws 28, one end of a tubular beam 29,which is rectangular in cross section. Extending transversely betweenthe beams 29, and rotatably journaled at opposite ends thereof in thebeams are a plurality of spaced, parallel conveyor rollers 31. Each beam29 is braced and supported from angle irons 24 by a pair of spaced,parallel channel irons 32, which at one end are welded or otherwisepermanently secured to the asociated channel iron 24, and which at theiropposite ends are removably secured to the beams 29 by screws 33.

Welded to the bottoms of the channel irons 25' adjacent their beveledends, and extending transversely therebetween is a reinforcing channeliron 34. In this there is welded an elongate I-beam which is of a lengthto rest upon blocks 36 (FIG. 2) secured to the upper face of channelirons 12, when the turningplatform is in its lowered position.

Welded to the outer face of each channel iron 25 approximately midwaybetween its ends is a tubular sleeve 38 (FIGS. 4 and 6) which isrectangular in cross section. The upper end of one of the sleeves 38(the sleeve disposed adjacent the left side of frame 11 as shown inFIGS. 3 and 4) is connected by an arcuate rail 37 to the sleeve which iscarried by the beam 29 on the corresponding side of frame 11. When theturning platform is disposed as shown in FIG. 2, each of the sleeves 38is disposed vertically and registers at its upper end with the lower Thesleeves 39 are secured to the inner faces of channel irons 18approximately midway of their heights.

Guided at its upper end for vertical sliding movement in each sleeve 39is a bar 41 which has a downwardly depending latch portion 42 which isadapted to project downwardly and into the adjacent sleeve 38 (FIG. 4)to lock the turning platform 30 against pivotal movement in the positionshown in FIG. 2. At its lower end each bar 41 is pivotally connected bya pin 43 to a link 44 (FIG. 2) disposed adjacent the bottom of frame 11.Each link 44 is fixed at its opposite end to one end of a horizontallydisposed and transversely extending rocker shaft 45 (FIGS. 1, 2 and 3),opposite ends of which are rotatably journaled in the channel irons 12approximately midway between the ends of the latter.

Fixed at one end to one end of the rocker shaft 45 (the right end asviewed in FIG. 3) is an operating lever 46. The lever 46 extendsdiagonally upwardly toward the front or loading end of the frame 11 (theright end as viewed in FIG. 2) and passes through a vertical slot 47(FIG. 3) formed in a bracket 48, which is secured to and projectsvertically upwardly beyond one of the channel irons 14. Adjacent theupper end of bracket 48 the slot 47 is enlarged slightly to form alateral shoulder 49 (FIG. 3). The lever 46 is adapted to rest onshoulder 49 when the latching tongues 42 are operatively engaged in thesleeves 38 as shown in FIGS. 2v and 4.

Mounted to slide on the frame 11 is a carriage designated generally at51. Carriage 51 comprises rear and front bars 52, 53 (FIGS. 1 and 3)secured in spaced, parallel relation by longitudinally-extending bars 54and a diagonal strut 55. The bars 52 and 53 carry rollers 56 at theirends which travel in the channel trackways 16. Secured at one end toeach bar 52 and extending upwardly and forwardly (toward the right inFIG. 2) therefrom is an angle iron 57. Each angle iron 57 is curved asat 58 intermediate its ends, and the forward ends of these bars areconnected to a transverse channel iron 59, which is supported on twovertically disposed angle irons 60 that are secured to and projectupwardly from bar 53.

Mounted to rock on the curved surfaces 58 of the angle irons 57 is arigid, generally rectangular pallet 61 which comprises a rectangularsheet resting on and secured to a reinforcing rectangular angle ironframe 64. Positioned between the pallet and the angle irons 57 areelongate, flexible straps 62 (FIGS. 2 and 5). Each strap 62 is securedat one end to the upper, horizontal surface of one of the angle irons57, and at its opposite end to the under side of the pallet 61 at apoint spaced slightly forwardly of its rear edge. Fixed at opposite endsthereof to the under side of the pallet 61 and looping downwardlybeneath the pallet, when the latter is disposed as shown in FIG. 2, arelaterally spaced hand rails 63. Angle iron blocks 65 Welded at oppositesides to the rear end of the pallet rest upon the upper ends of a pairof vertical bars 66, when the carriage 51 is disposed at the loading endof the frame as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, thereby to support pallet 61 ina horizontal plane. The supports 66 are secured to and project upwardlyfrom the channel irons 16 adjacent opposite sides of the frame. Securedto the upper face of the pallet 61 along one side edge thereof (theright edge as shown in FIG. 3) is a strap 67. Secured to the rear edgeof the pallet 61 to project thereabove is a strap 69; and securedadjacent opposite ends of this strap are two tubular members 68 (FIGS.1, 2 and 5), which are adapted to function as stops.

As shown by broken lines in FIGS. 1 and 3, one end of a conveyor 71,which is used to convey concrete blocks face down from the drying racksto the loading end of frame 11, is mounted to overlap the frame 11 andalign with one side of the pallet 61, when the pallet is in its lowerposition (FIGS. 1 and 2). One end of a further conveyor 72 (FIGS. 1 and2), which is adapted to convey the concrete blocks away from the frame11, is

bolted to the rear discharge end of frame 11 (the left end in FIGS. 1and 2).

In use, assuming that the parts of the apparatus are positioned as shownin FIGS. 1 to 4, the operator first slides concrete blocks otf theconveyor 71 onto the horizontally disposed pallet 61, arranging them ina single, rectangular layer bounded at one side and at the rear by thestraps 67 and 69. Then the operator pushes the carriage 51 rearwardly(to the left in FIG. 1) so that the pallet moves off the supports 66, sothat the rollers 56 roll off of the guideway 16 and into the channelirons 25 which at this time are aligned with the channel irons 16. Whenthe carriage has approached the uprights 29, the operator uses the handbars 63 to tilt the pallet downwardly over the curved surfaces 58 (FIG.5) until the layer of blocks on the pallet is deposited verticallyagainst the rollers 31 carried' by the uprights 29 and onto thehorizontal upper surface of the slat or channel iron 27 which isimmediately adjacent the uprights 29. The

carriage 51 is then returned to the forward loading end of the frame;and the pallet is tilted back to its horizontal position (FIGS. 1 and2).

The operator then repeats the operation of transferring blocks fromconveyor 71 to the pallet, placing the blocks in rectangular formationon the pallet. When the pallet is again covered with blocks, theoperator again moves the carriage rearwardly, and dumps it. Eachsucceeding layer of blocks is thus stacked vertically on platform 30against the preceding layer.

The blocks are transferred from the conveyor 71 to the pallet 61 facedownward just as they are received by the conveyor but as each layer ofblocks is dumped from the pallet, the layer is rotated substantially 90so that the smooth surfaces of the blocks on the platform 30 face awayfrom the rollers 31.

The slats 27 of the platform are spaced apart a distance such that eachslat supports a different vertical layer of blocks, successive verticallayers being supported by successive slots. The stops 68 engage thefront face of a slat when the pallet is tilted and thereby helpdetermine the proper positioning of the successive vertical layers ofthe blocks against one another.

When enough layers of blocks have been dumped onto platform 30, theoperator disengages the lever 46 from the shoulder 49, and pushes thelever down so that the latches 42 (FIG. 4) are withdrawn from the upperends of the sleeves 38. The weight of the blocks on the platform 30 thencauses the platform to be tilted by gravity about the trunnions 22(counterclockwise in FIG. 2) until the undersides of the channel irons25 engage the resilient bumpers 74 (FIGS. 2 and 6) carried by brackets73 that project rearwardly from the supports 15 at opposite sides of theframe and align with notches in the beam 35. During this tiltingmovement of the platform, thelower end of the latch 42 at the left sideof the frame, as viewed in FIGS. 3 and 4, rides on the rail 37 (FIG. 6)until the sleeves 40 (FIGS. 2 and 6) register with the latches 42, atwhich time the latter drop into the sleeves 40 to hold the beams 29 inthe position shown in FIG. 6. At this time the beams 29 at their freeends are inclined slightly downwardly from the horizontal, and are inregistry with the rollers on thedischarge conveyor 72, and the weight of6 and the apparatus is once again in position as above-described.

It will thus be seen that applicant has provided relatively simple andinexpensive semi-automatic cubing apto be loaded paratus, which iscapable of cubing the entire production v blocks at any time during thecubing process, therefore the concrete blocks has been transferred fromthe channel irons 27 to the conveyor-rollers 31. As the weight of theblocks shifts to the rollers 31, the latter cause the stacked blocks toroll as a unit on the discharge conveyor 12.

After the blocks have rolled from platform 30 onto conveyor 72, thelever 46 is once again depressed to disengage the latches 42 from thesleeves 40. The platform 30 then pivots by gravity automatically backinto the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and the latches 42 ride on therail 37 until they drop back into the sleeves 38. The lever is thenmoved into locking position on the shoulder 49,

obviating chipping of the blocks, and thus improving their overallquality. With applicants apparatus, moreover, all the blocks are stackedface up before delivery so that the masons need not turn the blocks overbefore mortaring them in place. Moreover, in applicants apparatus allthe automatic motions are effected by gravity alone, thus reducing to aminimum the labor of cubing and also eliminating any need for employingexpensive drive means for accomplishing the same motions. I

Another advantage of applicants apparatus is that it may be adjusted toaccommodate differently sized blocks by securing the slats or channelirons 27 at lesser or greater intervals along the channels 25. Also, thescrews 28 and 33 permit the beams 29 to be adjusted relative to thechannels 25. If adjustment of the beams 29 should affect the balance ofthe members suspended from the trunnions 22, weights may be clamped tothe beam 35 to cause these members to assume the positions shown inFIGS. 1 and 2 when the channels 27 are unloaded.

While the invention has been described in connection with a specificembodiment thereof, it will be understood that it is capable of furthermodification, and this application is intended to cover any variations,uses, or adaptations of the invention following, in general, theprinciples of the invention and including such departures from thepresent disclosure as come within known or customary practice in the artto which the invention pertains and as may be applied to the essentialfeatures hereinbefore set forth, and as fall within the scope of theinvention or the limits of the appended claim.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

Apparatus for cubing concrete blocks, comprising (a) a frame having aloading station adjacent one end theireof and a discharge stationadjacent its opposite en (b) a carriage mounted on said frame andreciprocable between said stations,

(c) a pallet mounted on said carriage for receiving and supporting alayer of concrete blocks face down in a substantially horizontal planeon said carriage, when the latter is positioned at said'receivingstation,

(d) a platform having a conveyor projecting substantiallyperpendicularly from one end thereof,

(e) means mounting said platform on said frame at said discharge stationto pivot between a first position in which said platform is disposedhorizontally beneath said carriage with its conveyor projecting upwardlytherefrom, and a second position in which said platform is disposednearly vertically with said conveyor projecting from the lower endthereof,

(f) releasable means for holding said platform in said first position,

(g) said pallet being mounted on said carriage to pivot from ahorizontal position downwardly over the side of said carriage, when thelatter is moved toward said to pivot to said second position in responseto the weight of the blocks positioned thereon, whereby the last-namedblocks are transferred face up onto said conveyor, and

(i) at least one tubular member secured to said platform adjacent oneside of said frame,

(j) at least one further tubular member secured to said conveyoradjacent said one side of said frame, and

(k) a manually operable latch mounted on said frame for limitedmovement, and insertable into locking engagement with the first-namedtubular member, when said platform is in its first position, and .intolocking engagement with said further member, when said platform is inits second position.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 1O GERALD M'.FORLENZA, Primary Examiner.

MORRIS TEMIN, Examiner.

M. WOLSON, Assistant Examiner.

